Calacatta installed — a backsplash finished with this tile. Zoom in and read the pattern before you pick.
PorcelainCalacatta
White-Warm
- Style marble
- Color warm white
- tile-to-tile variation Low
Sizes and finishes
How it is actually sold — measured off the spec sheet, not rounded.
Sizes
Calacatta is made in 8 sizes. Size is the decision people skip and then notice every day: it sets how much grout line ends up in the field, and a larger module on the same wall reads calmer than a small one.
- 12x24
- 24x24
- 32X32
- 24x48
- 4x24
- 2x2
- 3x3
- 12X15
Planning the wall
What Calacatta works out to on your wall, from its own published sizes.
| Size (inches) | Pieces per 10 sq ft | Grout line per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 12×24 | 5 | 1.5 ft |
| 24×24 | 2.5 | 1 ft |
| 32×32 | 1.4 | 0.8 ft |
| 24×48 | 1.3 | 0.8 ft |
| 4×24 | 15 | 3.5 ft |
Arithmetic on the published size; a straight grid layout. Herringbone and other patterns cut more pieces.
The size you pick changes the wall more than the color does: 24×48 needs about 1.3 pieces per 10 square feet, 4×24 about 15.
12×24 · 24×24 · 32×32 · 24×48 · 4×24 are large-format — any edge of 15 inches or more — and large-format tile needs a flatter wall than small tile does, so we check the wall before we quote it.
The spec sheet lists it as rectified: the edges are ground square after firing, which is what lets the joints run tight and straight.
Counts are before cuts — outlets, window returns and the ends of a run all take pieces. The install itself, from wall prep to caulk, is on our backsplash installation page.
Where it works
The applications this surface is actually rated for.
Where it is rated to go: flooring, at all of it at commercial duty.
Rated for
- Flooring — residential and commercial
Calacatta or Bardiglio?
Calacatta and Bardiglio are easy to confuse on a sample board: they share the same material, collection, style, glaze type, PEI rating, certifications and edge. What separates them:
- Calacatta is made in 12X15, 12x24, 24x24, 24x48, 2x2, 32X32, 3x3 and 4x24; Bardiglio in 12X15, 12x24, 24x24, 24x48, 2x2, 32X32, 3x3 and 4x24 BullNose.
- Measured off each swatch, Calacatta reads #EBE5DE (very light, essentially neutral) and Bardiglio reads #C1BCBA (light, essentially neutral), so Calacatta sits lighter than Bardiglio on the wall.
- Calacatta lists shade variation Low; Bardiglio lists V3.
What to expect once it is installed
The ratings that decide whether the finished wall matches the sample.
Shade variation: Low
The maker grades tile-to-tile variation on this one as low. A single sample is a reasonable way to judge it.
Wear rating: PEI 4
Its abrasion class is PEI 4 of a possible 5, meaning residential floors plus light commercial traffic, so it will outlast the kitchen around it.
Certifications
It has been tested and certified Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified.
What to put next to it
Built from the color we measured off Calacatta itself, not from its name.
We measured this tile's own swatch at #EBE5DE — very light and essentially neutral. The closest color we hold pairing data for is Cream / Antique White, so that is what the recommendations below are built from. Close enough to neutral that the cabinets get to make the decisions; this will follow them.
Cabinets
- Sage Green — muted green loves creamy warmth. Against this surface it is a step darker — enough separation to read as two materials solid
Countertop
- Green / Dramatic Veined Stone — dramatic green stone over quiet cream boxes. Against this surface it is much darker than this surface, so the tile reads as the light element current
Island
- Walnut — Cream perimeter cabinets let a walnut island play the furniture piece, and cream forgives the slow amber shift walnut takes on in a sunny room.. Against this surface it is much darker than this surface, so the tile reads as the light element classic
Backsplash
- Terracotta / Clay — Cream cabinets give terracotta tile room to glow instead of shout — the pairing ages like a Marseille farmhouse, better every year the glaze crazes.. Against this surface it is a step darker — enough separation to read as two materials current
Steer away from
- Pure White — cream next to pure white makes the cream look dirty — pick one white family
More to compare
Other backsplash tiles that sit close to Calacatta.
Questions about Calacatta
Answered from this product’s own spec sheet and our measurement of it.
What size is Calacatta?
Calacatta comes in 8 sizes: 12x24 · 24x24 · 32X32 · 24x48 · 4x24 · 2x2 · 3x3 · 12X15. Pick the size before the color. It decides how much grout line ends up in the field, and on the same wall a larger module reads calmer than a small one.
Where can I use Calacatta?
Its maker rates it for flooring. We hold to that rating when we quote — installing outside it is how a warranty claim gets denied.
Can Calacatta go on a floor?
Yes, comfortably. At PEI 4 it is rated past residential floors into light commercial traffic, so it will outlast the kitchen around it.
What color is Calacatta, really?
We measured its own swatch at #EBE5DE — very light and essentially neutral. It sits close to neutral, so it takes direction from the cabinets rather than fighting them. Names are marketing; that number is what the camera saw.
Does Calacatta need sealing?
No. Porcelain is vitrified almost to zero water absorption. The tile itself never needs sealing; cement grout still benefits from it.
Calacatta installed
12 photographs of this tile in finished rooms — scroll the rail, tap any shot to zoom.
Close up
Swatches
Tiles that look like Calacatta
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Calacatta specifications
- Available size12x24
- Available size24x24
- Available size32X32
- Available size24x48
- Available size4x24
- Available size2x2
- Available size3x3
- Available size12X15
Rated for Flooring
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